Arch support



ARCH SUPPORT Filed March 6, 1935 l I l l Patented Apr. 21, 1936 ATENT QFFIQE ARCH S UPPORT Charles F. Scholl, London, England, assignor to The Scholl Mfg. 60., Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Application March 6,

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in arch supports of the character inserted in a shoe or other article of footwear on top of the insole and beneath the foot of the wearer to aid in the correction of deformities, injuries or weakness of the foot, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, arch supports for disposition beneath the plantar surface of a foot have in many instances embodied a resilient metallic plate of such a configuration as to give the desired or needed corrective support in the proper region of the foot. If such a plate were designed for correcting or supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot, the plate was commonly bowed up in the middle and contactedthe insole of a shoe or the like only at the front and rear portions of the plate. Frequently, a metallic plate so constructed would gouge into the insole of the shoe in an injurious manner, especially at the forward edge of the plate. Various devices were employed to eliminate the gouging action of the plate.

In some instances, sockets or envelopes of leather or equivalent material were slipped over the forward margin of the arch support. However, such devices were inclined to slip relatively to the support or plate and cause an error in positioning the plate within the shoe. Also, these devices frequently slipped off the plate, especially when the plate was removed from one shoe for transferring to another, imposing upon the user the irksome duty of locating the envelope and replacing the same, thereby adding to the likelihood of the envelope being improperly disposed upon the plate. In substantially every case, it is objectionable to have the layman user make any kind or character of adjustment in connection with an arch support, such adjustments on the part of the user frequently resulting in aggravating the particular injury the support is designed tocorrect; in other words, the users lack of skill very frequently results in a maladjustment.

In other instances, a protective or covering member, such as a piece of leather, was attached to the plate by means of rivets, so that the member would underlie the forward edge of the plate. However, such rivets or equivalent means were objectionable for two reasons: First, because such protective member would wear out much sooner than the plate to which it was attached and to replace the member, it was necessary to drive out the rivets and put in new rivets. Second,

1935, Serial No. 9,563

after usage for a length of time and after such replacements, the rivets would become more exposed relatively to the upper surface of the plate, especially when the weight of a user was upon the plate, thereby forming a roughened surface 5 beneath the foot of a user. This is especially true when brass, copper, bronze or some similar soft metal was used to form the rivets, and such metal was used most frequently so that the rivets could be driven out if so desired. However, the 10 driving out of the rivets was an expensive procedure and the replacement of the rivets resulted in a device not as satisfactory as the original. To cover the upper surface of the plate with a smooth covering member, such as leather, resulted in objectionable and undesirable expense, and further increased the thickness of the device, thereby rendering it more difficult to properly place the device within a shoe and still maintain a satisfactory fit and appearance of the shoe when worn.

With the foregoing-in mind, it is an object of this invention to provide an arch support embodying a metallic plate with a protective member underlying the forward edge thereof and securing means for uniting the plate and member which may be readily operated to remove and replace the member, the securing means having the same appearance after the replacement of the member as they did before replacement and requiring no addition or substitution of material.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a foot supporting plate carrying attaching means thereon which are arranged for cooperative association with other attaching means associated with a protective member, for the purpose of removably mounting the member upon the plate.

This invention also contemplates the provision of an arch support embodying means for readily and easily removably uniting a metallic plate and another member, such as leather or equivalent material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an arch support embodying a metallic plate and a protective member secured to the undersurface of the plate so as to underlie the forward edge thereof by means totally concealed from view or feeling when the support is in operative position.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an arch support including a metallic plate with a protective member associated with the forward portion thereof, the protective member being attached to the plate in fixed position by means only in engagement with the underside of the plate.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an arch supporting member with a protective member attached thereto by cooperatively engageable securing means associated with the undersurface of the supporting member and, of course, with the protective member.

Another aim of this invention is the provision of a metallic arch supporting plate having studs or the like welded to the undersurface of the plate, and a protective member underlying the forward edge of the plate held in fixed position relatively to the plate by said studs.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a metallic arch supporting plate having means secured to a surface thereof, but not passing therethrough, for attaching a protective member to the plate.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an arch supporting plate of metal or equivalently strong material having a protective member of leather or equivalent material attached thereto by means totally concealed when the plate is in operative position and so constructed as not to gouge into the insole of a shoe or the like.

The invention also includes the feature of providing an arch supporting plate of metal or. equivalent material having a protective member removably attached thereto by means which may be actuated only by a special tool, to prevent or substantially eliminate the likelihood of a layman user making any adjustments or replacements in connection with the device.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a metallic arch supporting plate having a stud or the like welded to the undersurface thereof and a protective element underlying the forward elge of the plate and held attached to the plate by means of a nut in engagement with the stud.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures.

The invention includes these and other features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and shown in a preferred form in the drawing, as more particularly indicated by the claims.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an arch supporting device embodying principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the anterior or forward portion of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line IIIIII of Figure 1, and showing diagrammatically how the device is positioned within a shoe.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially as indicated by th line IVIV of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating how the device may be assembled.

As shown on the drawing:

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is shown an arch supporting device embodying a plate I of metal or other sufficiently strong material which is bowed from front to back, as indicated at 2 (Figure 3) to lend support to the longitudinal arch of a foot. At its rear portion, the plate I is provided with a hollow. or indentation 3 for the reception of the heel of the foot, and the plate is transversely bowed or arched in the forward portion thereof, as indicated at 4, to lend support to the metatarsal arch of the foot. The plate 5 is designed for insertion in a shoe or other article of footwear beneath the plantar region of a foot, and although the plate is illustrated as capable of supporting both the metatarsal and longitudinal arches of a foot, it will be understood that the plate may have any desirable configuration or formation to lend corrective support to any desired part or parts of the foot capable of being aided by pressure on the plantar surface of the foot.

While the support or plate 5 is of relatively hard and normally stiff material, the construction of the plate is such as to provide resiliency or give to the plate when the weight of the user is thereupon. Consequently, there will be a slight backward and forward movement of the forward edge 5 of the plate. over the insole of a shoe while the user of the device is walking. This movement of the forward edge of the plate would result in a gouging action causing injury to the insole if means were not employed to prevent such injury.

In the present instance, a protective member 6, preferably of leather, is attached to the plate so as to underlie the forward edge 5 thereof. This protective member is preferably skived, as at l on its underside, to provide better fit within a shoe and also to provide a roughened surface tending to eliminate slipping of the device when in a shoe.

As seen best in Figure 3, wherein the outlines of a shoe sole 8 are indicated in dotted lines, the protective member 6 effectively prevents direct contact with the insole of a shoe by the forward edge 5 of the plate. As seen in this view, no weight is imposed upon the plate, it being understood that when the weight of a user is upon the plate, the protective member 5 will be flattened to such an extent that the plate 5 will be separated from the insole of the shoe substantially only by the thickness of the protective member 6.

To eliminate the objectionable usage of rivets and yet provide firm and relatively fixed attachment of the protective member to the plate I, this plate is provided on its undersurface with a pair of threaded studs 9 which are welded or otherwise secured directly to the plate, as indicated at In in Figure 5. Any desirable number of such studs, of course, may be provided. The protective member 6 is provided with apertures con sistent with the location of the studs, and each aperture H is preferably of sufficient size to pass over not only the threaded shank of a stud but also the head of the stud, as indicated clearly in Figure l. After the protective member has been positioned over the studs, a nut I2 is engaged over each stud to securely and fixedly unite the protective member to the plate. Each nut is provided with a reduced shank or body portion l3 to extend within the aperture I l in the protective member so as to reduce the thickness of the en tire device. Further, each nut is preferably rounded on its exterior side so as to eliminate gouging into the insole of a shoe in the event sufficient pressure is applied to the plate to cause contact of the nuts with the insole. It will also be noted that in the present construction, the studs are disposed within the transversely arched portions of the plate so that they will be less likely to interfere with the proper action of the arch support.

In order to prevent or substantially tend to eliminate the removal of the protective member from the plate by a layman user, each nut ,is provided with a plurality of spaced apertures M for the reception of a plurality of projections l similar in disposition and number upon the end of a special tool IS. The tool I6 is used to tighten and release the nuts. Tools of this character will preferably only be in the hands of the manufacturer for proper assembly of the article, and in the hands of dealers for proper replacement of the protective member 6, where only persons with adequate knowledge and skill will make the necessary connections or adjustments.

It will be noted that when the arch supporting device has been made up in the manner above outlined, the action of the plate I is substantially the same as it would be without the protective member 6, except that it will not gouge into the insole of a shoe. The connections between the protective cover and the plate are so disposed as not to interfere with the action of the plate, and there is nothing upon the upper surface of the plate to result in a roughened surface after usage, as would be the case in the event rivets or other fastening means passing through the plate were used.

It will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of the present invention is only a preferred form. The studs 9 might also be riveted to the plate l, preferably by rivets of hard metal, in a permanent fashion so that there will be little or no likelihood of the rivets becoming sufliciently loosened from the plate to provide a rough surface. Such rivets could be so secured to the plate and finished off with the upper surface of the plate as to be substantially invisible. The operation of the device would be the same, except for this different method of attaching the studs to the plate. Further, the attachment means could be varied in construction within the purview of this invention and still provide the ready removal and replacement of the protective memher 5. It will also be understood that other elements of leather, fabric, or similar material, besides an element shaped to underlie only the forward edge of the plate, may also be attached to the plate by means of the present invention, although the invention is highly desirable for the purpose disclosed in the drawing and no protective member has been so attached to an arch supporting plate, to my knowledge.

It will also be apparent that the device may be very easily and economically manufactured and that the device is extremely durable in. construction.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described, a plate for disposition of a shoe, a protective member for underlying an edge of the plate to prevent gouging the insole of the shoe, and means attached only to the underside of the plate for holding said member in position.

2. In a device of the character described, a plate for disposition in a shoe, a protective member for underlying an edge of the plate to prevent gouging the insole of the shoe, and means attached only to the underside of the plate for holding said member in position, said means being shaped so as not to gouge into the insole of a shoe.

3. In a device of the character described, a metallic plate, a stud welded to the underside of said plate, and a protective member held to said plate by said stud.

4. In a device of the character described, a metallic plate, a threaded stud secured to the underside of said plate but not extending through said plate, a protective member perforated to fit over said stud, and a nut engageable with said stud to hold said protective member in position.

5. In a device of the character described, a metallic plate, a threaded stud secured to the underside of said plate but not extending through said plate, a protective member perforated to fit over said stud, and a nut engageable with said stud to hold said protective member in position, said nut being provided with a plurality of openings engageable only by a special tool.

CHARLES F. scHoLL. 

